DEMS/GOP/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “President Trump on Monday [9-24-18] said the sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, which are slowing proceedings on his nomination to be the newest Supreme Court justice, could be one of the ‘single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything.’ The president said he continues […]
Category: Senate
9/21/2018
NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told CNN on Friday [9-21-18] she plans to wait until after Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee before deciding whether to back Kavanaugh’s nomination…Republicans can confirm Kavanaugh without any […]
9/21/2018
GOP/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “Sen. Susan Collins is ‘appalled’ by President Donald Trump’s tweet attacking the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, she told reporters in her home state Maine on Friday [9-21-18]. The moderate Republican senator, who is a key swing vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination, said that the president downplayed […]
9/20/2018
CONGRESS/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “Christine Blasey Ford opened the possibility she would testify before Congress about her accusation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. An email her lawyers sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee said Ford ‘would be prepared to testify next week’ if the senators offer her ‘terms that are fair and […]
9/20/2018
COURTS/DEMS/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Aided by fellow Republicans in the Senate, President Donald Trump is rapidly filling vacancies on U.S. appeals courts, moving some that had liberal majorities closer to conservative control in an ideological shift that could benefit his administration. These 13 courts wield considerable power, usually providing the last word on rulings appealed from […]
9/20/2018
COURTS/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Aided by fellow Republicans in the Senate, President Donald Trump is rapidly filling vacancies on U.S. appeals courts, moving some that had liberal majorities closer to conservative control in an ideological shift that could benefit his administration. These 13 courts wield considerable power, usually providing the last word on rulings appealed […]
9/19/2018
DEMS/ELECTION/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said Wednesday [9-19-18] she is voting no on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, citing concerns over his stance on anonymous political contributions. McCaskill’s position is significant given that she is running for re-election this year in a state President Donald Trump won in 2016, […]
9/19/2018
NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [9-18-19] it was up to the U.S. Senate how to handle a sexual assault allegation brought by a woman against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said it would be unfortunate if Kavanaugh’s accuser, university professor Christine Blasey […]
9/17/2018
DRUGS/PHARMA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Americans deserve to know the lowest drug price at their pharmacy, but ‘gag clauses’ prevent your pharmacist from telling you! I support legislation that will remove gag clauses and urge the Senate to act. #AmericanPatientsFirst” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 17, 2018 1:10 pm […]
9/14/2018
GOP/NATO/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization worked to shore up support in Washington this week, with boosters of the alliance anxious to retain the support of American conservatives amid criticism by President Trump and ahead of a possible Senate vote next year on expansion. Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, […]
9/14/2018
ELECTION/GOP/RALLY/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is coming to Missouri as he pushes for Republican Josh Hawley to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in a critical Senate race. Trump’s campaign on Friday [9-14-18] announced the planned Sept. 21 rally in Springfield, Missouri. McCaskill is a top target for Republicans seeking to expand the party’s slim […]
9/13/2018
GOVERNMENT/HOUSE OF REPS/SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House and Senate negotiators reached bipartisan agreement on a package of spending bills, as well as a continuing resolution to fund the remainder of the government through December 7 and forestall a potential government shutdown battle, aides in both chambers told CNN on Thursday [9-13-18]. The agreement, which the Senate […]
9/13/2018
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @realDonaldTrump: ‘I can say, as it relates to the Senate Intelligence Committee Investigation, that we have NO hard evidence of Collusi…” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 13, 2018 7:18 am […]
9/12/2018
CYBERWAR/MIKE POMPEO/SENATE/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A bipartisan group of senators called out Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the State Department’s failure to meet federal law on cybersecurity standards, including basic protocols used by major internet companies. The lawmakers sent a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday [9-11-18] citing a General Services Administration report that found the State […]
9/12/2018
ELECTION/GOP/JEFF SESSIONS/ROBERT MUELLER/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Republicans are in a jam when it comes to Jeff Sessions. While resigned to President Donald Trump firing the attorney general after the midterm elections, they suspect that perhaps only a sitting senator could win confirmation as Sessions’ successor — that is, someone they could trust not to interfere […]
9/12/2018
NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Sen. Angus King announced his opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday [9-12-18]…He joins a handful of senators, including New Hampshire Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen and Virginia Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, in declaring themselves ‘no’ on Kavanaugh…Most Democrats are expected to oppose […]
9/12/2018
IRS/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The U.S. Senate on Wednesday [9-12-18] confirmed President Donald Trump’s choice of Beverly Hills, California, tax lawyer Charles Rettig to be commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the federal agency that implements tax laws. The Senate voted 64-33 to install Rettig, who will replace Acting Commissioner David Kautter. Kautter has been […]
9/12/2018
GOP/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “’I can say, as it relates to the Senate Intelligence Committee Investigation, that we have NO hard evidence of Collusion.’ Richard Burr (R-NC) Senate Intelligence Committee, Chairman” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 12, 2018 9:06 am […]
9/11/2018
POLLS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Americans are divided on whether or not senators should vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, with 38% who say yes and 39% who say no, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS and released on Tuesday [9-11-18]. Contentious hearings did not move the needle in either direction […]
9/10/2018
JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vigorously pushed President Donald Trump’s agenda at the Justice Department, and before that, spent 20 years championing conservative causes in the Senate. Yet as Sessions enters what may be the final stretch of his tenure, those efforts are at risk of being eclipsed by his […]
9/8/2018
ELECTION/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republicans are doing really well with the Senate Midterms. Races that we were not even thinking about winning are now very close, or even leading. Election night will be very interesting indeed!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 8, 2018 8:38 pm […]
9/6/2018
DEMS/GOP/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Brett Kavanaugh emerged from two days of tough questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committee without making any obvious missteps that could imperil his confirmation as the justice who will pull the Supreme Court to the right and hand Donald Trump a generational presidential legacy. He avoided ceding ground on the most contentious […]
9/6/2018
DEMS/ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump assailed a vulnerable Democrat, attacked those in his own administration seeking to undermine his agenda and warned supporters that his own impeachment is at stake in November’s midterm elections at a rally Thursday [9-6-18] night in Montana. Addressing a senior administration official’s anonymous, critical op-ed in The New York […]
9/5/2018
NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Brett Kavanaugh spent much of 12 hours in a packed and raucous Senate hearing room Wednesday [9-5-18] trying not to talk about politics — or how he would act in cases involving the man who nominated him to the Supreme Court, President Donald Trump. Should the Senate confirm Kavanaugh, it would likely […]
9/5/2018
AGRICULTURE/ECONOMY/HOUSE OF REPS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump Economy is booming with help of House and Senate GOP. #FarmBill with SNAP work requirements will bolster farmers and get America back to work. Pass the Farm Bill with SNAP work requirements!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 5, 2018 8:21 am […]
9/4/2018
COURTS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is racking up federal judicial appointments, and not just to the Supreme Court, where his second nominee, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, is set for confirmation hearings this week. So far, he has filled 60 seats on the federal district courts, the courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. Mr. […]
9/3/2018
SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “RT @CoreyStewartVA: In the U.S. Senate I’ll be working WITH @realDonaldTrump on his #MAGA agenda — and that includes having the backs of A…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 3, 2018 6:05 am […]
8/31/2018
INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LOBBYING/PAUL MANAFORT/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Washington lobbyist W. Samuel Patten pleaded guilty Friday [8-31-18] to acting as an unregistered foreign lobbyist, and admitted to lying to the Senate Intelligence Committee and funneling a Ukrainian oligarch’s money to Donald Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee. Patten’s plea and cooperation agreement is connected to special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation […]
8/31/2018
JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump and Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey spoke by phone this week — a conversation in which the subject of the state’s vacant Senate seat arose, according to four people familiar with the discussion. The discussion came as Ducey weighs whom to appoint to the seat following the […]
8/30/2018
GOP/JEFF SESSIONS/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said on Thursday [8-30-18] his maligned attorney general is safe in his job at least until November. Trump made the comment in an interview with Bloomberg News…Trump has raged against Jeff Sessions since his decision to recuse himself from Russia-related matters last year. Sessions was the […]
8/30/2018
GOP/JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The way President Donald Trump handled Sen. John McCain’s death was ‘disturbing,’ Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Thursday [8-30-18]. ‘It bothers me greatly when the president says things about John McCain. It pisses me off to no end. And the way he handled the passing of John is just — it […]
8/30/2018
ELECTION/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Will be going to Evansville, Indiana, tonight for a big crowd rally with Mike Braun, a very successful businessman who is campaigning to be Indiana’s next U.S. Senator. He is strong on Crime & Borders, the 2nd Amendment, and loves our Military & Vets. Will be a big night!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August […]
8/29/2018
GOP/JEFF SESSIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The willingness of Republican senators to turn on Attorney General Jeff Sessions is the result of a furious lobbying campaign from President Donald Trump, who for the past 10 days has been venting his anger at Sessions to ‘any senator who will listen,’ as one GOP Senate aide put it. The […]
8/29/2018
JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday [8-29-18] that President Donald Trump called him after he delivered an emotional farewell to Sen. John McCain on the Senate floor, telling the South Carolina Republican he ‘did right by his friend’…During the 2016 campaign, Trump attacked McCain’s record of service, saying the Vietnam veteran […]
8/29/2018
DEMS/ELECTION/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republicans got their woman for a must-win Senate seat. President Donald Trump got his man in Florida, his second-home state. And Democrats chose another historic nominee in a stunning upset. The final multi-state primary night of the 2018 midterms concluded with a bang as Rep. Martha McSally locked down the GOP nomination for […]
8/28/2018
ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Martha McSally, running in the Arizona Primary for U.S. Senate, was endorsed by rejected Senator Jeff Flake….and turned it down – a first! Now Martha, a great U.S. Military fighter jet pilot and highly respected member of Congress, WINS BIG. Congratulations, and on to November!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 28, 2018 11:44 […]
8/28/2018
ELECTION/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican U.S. Representative Martha McSally’s embrace of President Donald Trump and his agenda paid off on Tuesday, [8-28-18] when the Arizonan beat back conservative challengers for her party’s nomination in a crucial U.S. Senate race. But Republican strategists warned that her shift to the right on Trump and his hard-line immigration policies […]
8/28/2018
ELECTION/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Ron DeSantis, an upstart Republican riding the endorsement of President Trump, surged to win Florida’s gubernatorial primary Tuesday [8-28-18], setting up a starkly ideological fight with a Bernie Sanders acolyte vying to become the first black governor in state history. The contest in the country’s preeminent battleground state — already the costliest governor’s […]
8/28/2018
GOP/JEFF SESSIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Republicans are sending decidedly mixed messages about how they feel about the future of Attorney General Jeff Sessions amid unrelenting criticism from President Donald Trump. Key GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have signaled in recent days they’d be open to replacing Sessions after the midterm elections. Senate Majority […]
8/28/2018
SENATE/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I smile at Senators and others talking about how good free trade is for the U.S. What they don’t say is that we lose Jobs and over 800 Billion Dollars a year on really dumb Trade Deals….and these same countries Tariff us to death. These lawmakers are just fine with this!” […]
8/27/2018
ELECTION/JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision to replace the late John McCain is as much about his own political future as it is about filling the seat of the six-term senator and decorated war hero. Republicans with knowledge of the governor’s thinking say he’ll have to remain deferential to Trump […]
8/27/2018
DEFENSE/GOP/JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Senator John McCain’s death will likely shift leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee from one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal Republican critics to one of his biggest supporters, which observers say could mean fewer checks on the Pentagon. No decision has been announced since McCain’s death on Saturday […]
8/27/2018
ELECTION/IMMIGRATION/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Joe Arpaio built a national reputation as a staunch opponent of illegal immigration while sheriff of Arizona’s largest county and found a powerful ally in President Donald Trump, who pardoned him last year after he ran into legal trouble. But as the self-styled ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’ hustles for votes in Arizona ahead of […]
8/27/2018
JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the Senate chamber on Monday [8-27-18], John McCain’s desk was draped in black and topped with a vase of white roses. The majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, rose to praise Mr. McCain as a colleague and hero who ‘spotlighted many of our highest values.’ Outside, an impromptu memorial took shape […]
8/26/2018
JOHN MCCAIN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senator John McCain’s death this weekend laid bare the long-simmering Republican tensions over who will be appointed to fill his Arizona seat, pitting the pragmatic wing of the party that Mr. McCain represented against the ascendant, hard-line forces loyal to President Trump — and hostile to the late senator. On Sunday […]
8/24/2018
DRUGS/PHARMA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great to see the Senate working on solutions to end the secrecy around ridiculously high drug prices, something I called for in my drug pricing Blueprint. Will now work with the House to help American patients! #AmericanPatientsFirst” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 24, 2018 7:40 pm […]
8/24/2018
DEMS/ELECTIONS/NEW YORK/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A political action group formed in the wake of the 2016 presidential election as a counterweight to the Trump presidency is pumping significant resources into local primary races in New York, providing rookie candidates with funding and training to battle entrenched Albany incumbents. The group, called ‘The Arena,’ is the brainchild […]
8/23/2018
HOUSE OF REPS/SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday [8-23-18] for legislation to fund much of the government, including $675 billion for the Department of Defense, as lawmakers worked to minimize the risk of a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. The Senate voted 85-7 to pass the $854 […]
8/23/2018
DEMS/SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate overwhelmingly approved an $854 billion measure Thursday [8-23-18] that combines military spending with disbursements for the departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and other agencies. The 85-7 vote sends the measure to the House and means the Senate has now passed nine of the 12 mandatory spending bills […]
8/22/2018
GOP/LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Twenty-four hours after one of the most damaging days for Donald Trump’s presidency, the Republican wall of support around him shows no signs of crumbling. Though some GOP senators expressed discomfort with the the plea deal reached by Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and the guilty verdict rendered on former Trump campaign […]
DEMS/ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Phil Bredesen wants Tennesseans to know one thing: He won’t be the one to flip the Senate for Democrats. It’s not pessimism but self-preservation that tinges Bredesen’s assessment of the Senate landscape. An upset win in Tennessee could, in fact, put Bredesen’s party in the majority if Democrats were to run the […]
8/21/2018
CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Faced with new evidence that Russian hackers are targeting conservative American research groups and the Senate’s own web pages, key lawmakers from both parties signaled on Tuesday [8-21-18] that they were ready to move forward with punishing new sanctions legislation capable of crippling the Russian economy. And in three separate hearings on Capitol […]
8/21/2018
ABORTION/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh considers the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion to be settled law, Republican Senator Susan Collins said on Tuesday [8-21-18], but Democrats were deeply skeptical. Collins, a Republican who backs abortion rights and is considered a key vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination, […]
8/20/2018
CHINA/DRUGS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China. We can, and must, END THIS NOW! The Senate should pass the STOP ACT – and firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country. No more delay!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August […]
8/17/2018
GOP/MITCH MCCONNELL/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As the Senate convened for a rare August work period, the late-summer session serves as a reminder of how much has changed in the partnership between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump. This time last year, the two men were barely on speaking terms. Trump bashed the […]
8/17/2018
GOP/PRISONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Criminal justice reform advocates are escalating their push to shake loose a bipartisan prisons bill backed by President Donald Trump that’s been stalled in the Senate — despite few signs that a long-running GOP rift on the issue has healed. Trump has stepped up his own calls for a deal on the […]
8/16/2018
DEMS/MILITARY/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “How can ‘Senator’ Richard Blumenthal, who went around for twenty years as a Connecticut politician bragging that he was a great Marine war hero in Vietnam (then got caught and sobbingly admitted he was neither a Marine nor ever in Vietnam), pass judgement on anyone? Loser!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 16, 2018 […]
8/16/2018
DEMS/LAWSUIT/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Democrats in the U.S. Senate said on Thursday [8-16-18] they were prepared to sue the National Archives if it does not honor their request for information on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The threat ratcheted up the Democrats’ fight with Republicans over documents on the conservative federal judge nominated by President Donald […]
8/15/2018
DEFENSE/SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. senators agreed on Wednesday [8-15-15] to debate and vote in the next few days on more than $850 billion in spending on defense, labor and healthcare programs, as the Trump administration announced its objections to some parts of the bill. The so-called ‘minibus’ appropriations bill includes nearly $675 billion in spending […]
8/8/2018
ELECTION/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job I’m doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have […]
8/5/2018
CHINA/INFRASTRUCTURE/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Several U.S. senators are pressing the Trump administration to detail what it is doing to deal with Beijing’s financing of international infrastructure projects that have left many countries indebted to China and potentially in need of bailouts. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, […]
8/3/2018
DEMS/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “More Senate Democrats will meet with Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh when they return from recess. According to a senior Democratic senate aide, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, will lead the effort and will […]
8/3/2018
ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Marsha Blackburn had a BIG win last night in the Tennessee primary for U.S. Senate. She is an outstanding person & great supporter of mine. Congratulations Marsha, we need you very badly in the Senate to vote for our agenda. Your next opponent will vote against all we are doing!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
8/2/2018
DEMS/ELECTION/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two leading senators are asserting that President Donald Trump has not focused on the clear threat the Kremlin poses in the 2018 elections, with one Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee contending that Russian hackers may have already targeted most — if not all — sitting US senators. Ratcheting up the push […]
8/2/2018
ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Officially, President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania is intended to boost Republican Lou Barletta’s long-shot Senate campaign. But Trump’s own sagging fortunes — and the importance of the state to his 2020 reelection hopes — are top of mind. Barletta faces an uphill battle to oust two-term incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, who […]
8/2/2018
AGRICULTURE/HOUSE OF REPS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When the House and Senate meet on the very important Farm Bill – we love our farmers – hopefully they will be able to leave the WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD STAMPS PROVISION that the House approved. Senate should go to 51 votes!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 2, 2018 1:57 pm […]
8/2/2018
NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some records sought by U.S. senators about the prior White House service of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will not be available until the end of October, the U.S. National Archives said on Thursday, though it was unclear whether this would delay his confirmation process. The documents at […]
8/2/2018
CYBERWAR/ELECTION/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday [8-2-18] to impose stiff new sanctions on Russia and combat cyber crime, the latest effort by lawmakers to punish Moscow over interference in U.S. elections and its activities in Syria and Ukraine. The bill includes restrictions on new Russian sovereign debt transactions, energy […]
8/1/2018
CHINA/DEFENSE/SANCTIONS/SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Senate passed a $716 billion defense policy bill on Wednesday [8-1-18], backing President Donald Trump’s call for a bigger, stronger military and sidestepping a potential battle with the White House over technology from major Chinese firms. The Senate voted 87-10 for the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, or […]
7/31/2018
COURTS/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “With another judge expected to be confirmed Tuesday [7-31-18] by the Senate, President Trump and Senate Republicans are leaving an ever-expanding imprint on the judiciary, nudging powerful appeals courts rightward through a determined effort to nominate and confirm a steady procession of young conservative jurists. The confirmation of Judge Brett […]
7/31/2018
SENATE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to shut down the federal government have obscured an unusual development: lawmakers are making surprisingly swift progress funding it. The Senate is expected to pass this week a package of four spending bills with bipartisan support, on top of a trio passed in late June. The House, […]
7/31/2018
BORDER/CHILDREN/ICE/IMMIGRATION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official declined repeatedly at a congressional hearing Tuesday [7-31-18] to say whether the agency can document that migrant parents captured at the border and deported under the Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy were given the opportunity to take their children. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, […]
7/31/2018
CHUCK SCHUMER/DEMS/ELECTION/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, on Tuesday [7-31-18] expressed concern about Russian interference in the upcoming November elections, saying President Donald Trump should do more to prevent meddling and that it appears a Russian agency was behind the latest Facebook fake-account controversy. ‘The administration is not doing close to […]
7/31/2018
GOP/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As one of a few centrist Republicans in what is effectively a 50-49 Senate, Sen. Lisa Murkowski has enormous sway over the congressional agenda. Sometimes she wishes she had a little less of it. Murkowski is looking ahead to November for help. Because of a very favorable election map, Republicans could conceivably pick […]
7/30/2018
GOP/NOMINATION/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A Republican senator who had been a holdout threw his support behind U.S. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday [7-30-18], improving chances the judge will win Senate confirmation despite a pitched battle by Democrats to block him. U.S. Senator Rand Paul had expressed concerns over Kavanaugh’s positions on […]
7/25/2018
BUSINESS/SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two U.S. senators from states where foreign automakers build cars introduced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday [7-25-18] that would bar the Trump administration from imposing up to 25 percent tariffs on imported cars and parts until the International Trade Commission conducted a comprehensive study of auto industry. Senators Doug Jones, an Alabama Democrat, […]
7/25/2018
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/SANCTIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Bipartisan momentum is building in the Senate to crack down on Russia, even as President Donald Trump prepares to bring Vladimir Putin to Washington. It’s a remarkable split-screen moment, with lawmakers pressing not only for new penalties against the Kremlin but for Trump to use more of the sanctions power Congress […]
7/24/2018
2016 ELECTION/DEVIN NUNES/INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr told CNN Tuesday [7-24-18] he believed there were ‘sound reasons’ for judges to approve the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant on former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, in yet another break between the Republican leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees…Burr’s […]
7/24/2018
CAMPAIGN/GOP/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VA: “President Donald Trump urged the audience before him on Tuesday [7-24-18] to support a Missouri Republican’s Senate campaign, smeared Democrats and warned the crowd not to ‘believe the crap you hear from (the media.)’ The speech amounted to a typical political stump speech for Trump, all except for the setting. Instead of […]
7/23/2018
ABORTION/NOMINATIONS/POLLS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As the Senate nears debate on a new Supreme Court nominee who could give the panel a conservative edge, a majority of voters say they are increasingly opposed to undermining a woman’s right to have an abortion and are becoming more likely to say they support abortion-rights candidates, a new poll shows. […]
7/20/2018
GOP/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @Scavino45: ‘Senate GOP breaks record on confirming Trump picks for key court’ https://t.co/CB5Zsl5iSG“ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 20, 2018 9:33 am […]
7/19/2018
GOP/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House revealed Thursday [7-19-18] it has invited Vladimir Putin here to another summit in the fall, surprising Republican lawmakers and top administration officials who said they still hadn’t been told what President Donald Trump and the Russian leader agreed to earlier this week in Helsinki. The lack of clarity about […]
7/19/2018
COURTS/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Senate Republican leaders on Thursday [7-19-18] pulled the plug on one of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees after lawmakers raised concerns about racially insensitive articles he wrote as a college student, marking the first time a Trump U.S. appeals court pick was not confirmed. The Republican-led Senate had been poised to vote on […]
7/19/2018
ELECTION/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday [7-19-18] said he had called on two key Senate panels to recommend additional action aimed at preventing future election meddling by Russia as well as hold hearings on Russia sanctions law. McConnell, in a statement, said he asked the Republican chairmen of the Senate […]
7/19/2018
CONSUMER PROTECTION/IMMIGRATION/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. consumer watchdog survived aggressive questioning by lawmakers on Thursday [7-19-18] and looked on track to secure a confirmation vote that could come as soon as this month. There were heated exchanges in the Senate as Democratic lawmakers grilled Kathy Kraninger, a government official, on […]
7/19/2018
COURTS/GOP/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The sprint by President Trump and Senate Republicans to install conservative judges to the nation’s courts hit an unexpected speed bump on Thursday [7-19-18] after a nominee for a key federal appeals court was pulled to avoid an embarrassing defeat on the Senate floor. The nomination of Ryan W. Bounds to […]
7/18/2018
DEMS/SENATE/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday [7-81-18] lashed out at Republican President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul of December 2017, warning that it contains ‘gigantic loopholes’ that could encourage companies to move plants and jobs abroad. A report by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee said new international provisions meant to encourage companies to […]
7/17/2018
DEMS/HOUSE OF REPS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Top Democrats in the House and the Senate demanded on Tuesday [7-17-18] that Republican leaders stifle conservative attacks on the special counsel’s Russia investigation and compel President Trump’s senior national security advisers to testify to Congress about Monday’s [7-17-18] extraordinary summit meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia…Republicans […]
7/17/2018
NATO/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate group that acts as the liaison to NATO is appointing and announcing new members following President Donald Trump’s tumultuous appearance at the annual NATO summit in Brussels and his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Co-chairs Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, and Thom Tillis, a Republican […]
7/12/2018
GOP/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As Brett Kavanaugh makes the rounds on Capitol Hill to meet influential senators, he is being shadowed by Donald McGahn, the White House lawyer who is reshaping some of the most influential courts across the country, including the Supreme Court. Dressed in a navy suit and yellow tie, Mr. McGahn accompanied Judge […]
7/12/2018
SENATE/TARIFFS/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican and Democratic U.S. senators blasted Trump administration trade policy on Thursday [7-12-18] and vowed to press ahead with legislation to give Congress a say in decisions to impose tariffs on national security grounds. Prompting criticism from many of his fellow Republicans and business groups as well as Democrats, Trump has […]
7/11/2018
DEMS/ELECTIONS/HOUSE OF REPS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Joe Donnelly knew his audience: Addressing a group of camouflage-clad union mine workers and retirees here last weekend, the Democratic senator trumpeted his efforts to protect their pensions and health care, asked attendees to raise their hands if they knew someone with a pre-existing health condition, and made not […]
7/11/2018
DEMS/GOP/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Judge Brett Kavanaugh launched his courtship Tuesday [7-10-18] of the senators who will determine whether he ascends to the Supreme Court, the first salvo of the summer’s fiercest political battle. In their opening move, Republicans touted Judge Kavanaugh’s academic credentials and long record of decisions, while Democrats flagged concerns about how […]
7/11/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker bluntly warned Wednesday [7-11-18] that US influence around the world is ‘diminishing’ and said that President Donald Trump’s comments about NATO have been ‘damaging’ to American leadership in an apparent effort to ‘tear apart’ a critical alliance. Corker has grown increasingly unnerved about Trump’s […]
7/11/2018
NATO/SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For the second day in a row, the Senate pushed back on President Donald Trump, showing stiff resistance to his key policy decisions on tariffs and NATO even as the President is at a summit in Europe wrestling with allies over those same issues. Senators voted overwhelmingly Wednesday [7-11-18] calling on Trump […]
7/11/2018
CHINA/GOP/SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “With the Trump administration announcing a new round of tariffs on China, the Senate on Wednesday [7-11-18] took a step toward asserting its power over levies that President Donald Trump has already imposed. The vote was viewed as a gauge of whether the GOP-controlled chamber had the appetite to try to rein […]
7/11/2018
SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Senate made a minor effort to push back against President Donald Trump’s trade policies on Wednesday [7-11-18] by backing a non-binding motion to give Congress a role in his decisions to impose tariffs for national security reasons. The vote was 88-11 in favor of the measure, part of an effort […]
7/10/2018
GOP/RUSSIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Even for an era of strained relations, the images that crossed back over the Atlantic last week stood out: Seven Republican senators and one Republican congresswoman ushered into a Moscow conference room, exchanging pleasantries with top Russian officials on the eve of American Independence Day. But if the delegation was intended […]
7/10/2018
DEMS/NOMINATIONS/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Democrats, facing an uphill struggle to defeat the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, opened a broad attack on Tuesday, painting him as an archconservative who would roll back abortion rights, undo health care protections, ease gun restrictions and protect President Trump against the threat of […]
7/10/2018
NOMINATIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/VA: “A Senate committee voted on Tuesday [7-10-18] to advance President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, after a largely noncontroversial confirmation hearing last month. Trump nominated Robert Wilkie, who is a Pentagon undersecretary, to lead the department after ousting former VA Secretary David Shulkin. The President initially […]